About Us

Our Mission Statement

The Lawton Philharmonic performs symphonic music at the highest professional level to educate and entertain diverse audiences in the Southwest Oklahoma region.

Our concerts are known to have something for everyone and we're reaching out across the region to bring it to you. We try to showcase the best guest artists, be they world-renowned, local professional talent, or the newest discovery. Occasionally, we offer concertgoers an opportunity to hear the conductor's and/or guest artist's insights on the upcoming program.

Our Music Director and Conductor

Jon Kalbfleisch enjoys a multi-faceted musical life as a conductor, pianist, award-winning music director, freelance musician and organist. Having conducted ballet, opera, symphonic music, choral works, contemporary music and Broadway musicals, Jon has a wide-ranging interest in musical styles. In three short years as its music director and conductor, Maestro Kalbfleisch has guided the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra to newfound heights both in terms of artistic success and community outreach. He looks forward to continuing that path by generating more interest in the orchestra as a vital part of the cultural scene in his native Southwest Oklahoma.

As a resident of the Washington DC area, Jon is resident music director for the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, and has himself won 5 Helen Hayes Awards for Outstanding Musical Direction, with 20 nominations to his credit. When not on the podium, Jon has performed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, and with the National Symphony Orchestra Pops at Wolf Trap. With a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from Cameron University, and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Southern Methodist University as a student of Anshel Brusilow, Jon has worked with such artists as: Kathy Bates, Carol Burnett, Pat Carroll, Dixie Carter, Sutton Foster, Lynn Harrell, George Hearn, Bronson Pinchot, John Raitt, Chita Rivera, Lea Solonga, and Frederica von Stade.

The History of the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra (1961-2010)

The Musicians of the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra (2010-11 Season)